Looking for Civil War musket...

[XxWINxX94]

Hello everyone,
In the near future, I will be setting out to buy an authentic civil war musket of some sort. I have ZERO interest in reproductions, no matter who makes them. I realize that specimens in good condition will involve a hefty price.

-I am looking for almost any Civil War-era musket, any caliber.
-I know some muskets, but am not familiar with every model/maker.
-I would prefer something that had a better chance to be used by the Confederacy.
-I also need it to be in working condition, not a rust-bucket.
-The year does not particulary matter, however I don't want anything post-1865. Pre-1861 is OK though.


Can anyone point me in the right direction, or spare some information that could help me out?

Thanks~

 

[cheatin charlie]

http://www.n-ssa.org/phpBB3/index.php

Try this link. It is all civil war (north/south skirmish association)

 

[Jenrick]

As noted the North South Skirmish association is the place to look. Be prepared to pay upwards of 2K for a good condition shootable rifle musket.

-Jenrick

 

[A. Walker]

Take a look at this... Yeah, it's a Springfield, but plenty of them were used by the South, too. It appears to be in pretty fair condition. Opening bid is $2,499.99.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=172559493#PIC

Also just pointing out that Gun Broker is another good source for antique rifles.

 

[hawkeye74]

Confederate Muskets

The Question is how much are you willing to pay. True Confederate manufactured Muskets command premiums from collectors.

Best bet for a reasonably priced original that was of a type used by the South is to get something that was pre-1861. Numerous arms were siezed by the South in various armories and Forts around the South. These models were used by the South extensively, but are not definitely Southern without specific provenance.

Suggest the following:

US Model 1841, also known as the Mississippi Rifle. This was a favorite of state Militia units, both North and South. Available in 54 and 58 calibers. Also, there are a variety of variations.

US Model 1842. 69 caliber that was made at both Harpers Ferry Arsenal and Springfield. Came in a rifled and smoothbore variety.

US Model 1855 Made at both HF and SFD arrmory. Available in Rifle Musket and Rifle. 58 caliber. Made with the Maynard tape primer system. Several variations. This model was also the base model for the Richmond Arsenal and Fayetteville Armory rifles and rifle muskets made by the South. The inventory and equipment at HF arsenal was moved from there early in the war to Richmond and Fayetteville after its capture by the South.

Suggestion: Buy a Flayderman's Antique American Firearms book. If you invest the $40 or so, it will help you make an educated decision. It also has a section on those guns that were exclusively Confederate.

There are several locations that offer decent deals on CW weapons without hitting the auction sites. Depending on your location, you can actually go visit some of these dealers. Lodgewood MFG. in Whitewater Wis. is a good place to start. Dixie Gun Works is another. I know many other dealers, but knowing your location will allow me to give you a closer location.

Saw Crook County, IL. If you mean Chicago area, Cook County, Lodgewood is about a 2 hour drive. Very nice folks to deal with.

 

[XxWINxX94]

A.Walker,
That one is in pretty good condition! I've spent lots of time on gunbroker, its a great place to do research and everything. Thank you for the suggestion.

hawkeye74,
I will be sure to research those models, thank you.
Yes, I am in Cook County, IL and a trip to Whitewater is somewhat on the way to my summer home. Is Lodgewood like a store/shop?

I will also be taking a road trip to the south this summer, so Dixie Gun Works is also a possibility. I looked them up, and it seems they are in Union City, TN (I think).

Thanks for the info!

 

[arcticap]

Search out antique gun dealers especially at antique gun shows. Talk to members of gun collectors organizations in your state and region to find out who the antique gun dealers are. Many of them operate out of their house.

Here's a list of Illinois area gun shows.

http://www.americangunshows.com/GunShows/IL-GunShows.htm

There's an upcoming National Civil War Show in Wheaton, IL which is on the list. Even if you don't buy anything there, examine some guns and ask questions, collect some vendor business cards, take notes about what they're selling that interests you and contact them after the show when you're ready to buy. Antique & Civil War gun dealers are specialists in their field and will handle many more antique guns than regular gun dealers generally do.

Sept. 18, 2010, IL, Wheaton Illinois, DuPage County Fairgrounds. Chicagoland’s National Civil War Show & Sale with 300 tables. Dealers $95.00,Hours Saturday 9am to 4pm, Public Admission $9.00. Contact: Zurko Promotions, 115 E. Division St. Shawano WI. 54166. Phone 715-526-9769. Website: www.zurkopromotions.com

 

[Oyeboten]

A.Walker,



Wow...looking at that Rifle was a profound exsperience for me, even just the images as tey are, it pulled me and entranced me.


Amazing condition, and interesting provenance.

 

[hawkeye74]

Seems like you travel a bit.

Yes Lodgewood has a store front operation but they also do shows year round. Call before you go to make sure that they are in town. I have listed their web address below. Dixie Gun Works is in Union City, TN.

If you can make it to Nashville on the first weekend of December, there is an excellent CW collectors/dealers show (with no modern guns to hunt through. They are put in their own building.) every year. Usually an auction as well. Very large show, with three to six buildings, depending on the economy. Every kind of CW weapon you might wish to see. I and a friend sometimes display there.

I also should have listed a US Model 1816. Thousands of the these were available for use by both sides, in percussion and flintlock. 69 Caliber smoothbore for the most part but also a few rifled at the time they were converted to percussion or for the war.

These are some other original reputable dealers to check out.

www.lodgewood.com
www.horsesoldier.com
www.midtenrelics.com
www.shilohrelics.com
www.dixiegunworks.com

 

[Oyeboten]

Hi XxWINxX94,


I used to run Win-94 on my early Toshiba Laptop.


Beat the heck out of that 'millenium' version later on.



Check out 'Whitney' Contract Rifles...the Confederacy used them, and they are good, and Originals may be had reasonably sometimes.


If you are Handy, one which may need a little TLC of course, could be had for a lesser cost and made nice.

 

[XxWINxX94]

Great info everyone. I think I've abandoned the idea of a Civil War-Era musket. I think I just want something really old, but not just a rust-bucket. Maybe a musket that I will shoot once, but then have the lettering clear enough to read.

 

[Oyeboten]

That was fast!!!


Lol...

Don't give up...they are out there!


Just takes patience, time, or Luck, or all three.


A good woman, a good Dog, a good original Percussion Rifle, a good Truck, none of these necessarily will fall into one's lap...even if sometimes they do!


Any given Arm I might be after...can take weeks, months, years of looking to find the one for me...or might be in the top handfull of however many pages of results on my initial Gunbroker search too...ya never know.


Just they way it is.

 

[kBob]

Anybody know if Cohen's in New Orleans survived the disassters?

They used to carry a lot of ACW guns and guns of that period. I could not aford anything to speak of but they were polite to me and remembered me after it took me 6 years to get back to them. Lady pulled out a flintlock long rifle just like we had been discussing six years early asthough the sam conversation were simply breifly interupted.

Scary in a way.

On the way back to my hotel in the 1990's I stopped at a little shop that specialized in ACW era stamps, bonds, and currency, talked to the old guy a bit and on turning noticed some glass fronted cases behind the open door. Turned out to be about 20 original Starr revolvers. One was a cartridge conversion done in Belguim ages after the ACW and in .44-40 of all things. At the time if they had been selling steam boats for a dime all I could have done would have been run up and down the beach screaming "ain't that cheap?" But it was a nice conversation with the guy and my first experience handling a Starr or a dozen. Really wish I had the money for one and that cartridge conversion, but wishIdas don't count for much.

-kBob

 

[Cosmoline]

What about one of the Richmond Rifles? I've seen some for reasonable price on GB.